September 15. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
469 
This plant is common in Scotland and the north of 
England and Ireland; it is from four to eighteen inches long. 
2. Rhodomela suefusca (Slightly-brown). — “ Frond 
cylindrical, very much branched; branches alternate.” 
Frequent; four to ten inches high ; colour red-brown, be¬ 
coming almost black when dried, and in winter becoming so 
coarse and shaggy that it could only be recognised by those 
who are acquainted with it. 
BOSTRYCHIA. — Mout. 
1. Bostrychia scorpioides (Scorpion-like). — “Frond 
cylindrical, slender, attenuated, three or four times pinnated 
with horizontal branches, the uppermost involute at the ex¬ 
tremity.”— Harvey. This curious little plant of which I have 
specimens from the south of England, grows both on rocks 
in the sea, and in salt-water ditches, in tufts somewhat 
entangled. It is of a purple colour, black when dry; the 
name is from a word which signifies a ringlet or curl of hair, 
which this fantastic little plant somewhat resembles. 
4. RYTIPHLG2A.— Ay. 
“ Frond thread-shaped, pinnate, transversely striate, reticu¬ 
lated ; the axis articulated, composed of a circle of large, 
tubular, elongated cells (siphous) surrounding a central cell. 
Name from two words signifying a wrinkle and bark, because 
the surface is transversely wrinkled when dry.”— Harvey. 
1. Rytiphlcea riNASTROiDEs.—On rocks near low water, 
frequent on the south coast of England; fourto eight inches 
high; cartilaginous and of a dull red colour, which changes 
to black in drying. 
2. R. complanata. —Very rare; on rocky beds of shallow 
tide-pools; colour a dark brown-red. 
3. R. tiiuyoides. —Frequent in tide-pools; three to four 
inches high; much branched; colour brown or brownish- 
yellow. 
4. It. jFRUTicueosa. —On rocks covered with sand, common, 
substance cartilaginous; colour dull reddish-brown. 
5. POLYSIPHONIA.— Grev. 
“ Frond filamentous, partially or generally articulate; joints 
longitudinally striate, composed of numerous radiating cells 
(siphous) disposed round a central cavity. Fructification 
two-fold on distinct plants; 1, ceramidia containing a tuft 
of pear-shaped spores; 2, tetraspores imbedded in swollen 
branch lets ; name from polos, many, and siphon, a tube. A 
vast genus, of which nearly 300 species, from all parts of the 
world, have been described; many probably more than once 
under different names.”— Harvey. 
SUB-GENUS 1.—OLIGOSIPIIONIA. 
Primary tubes; four, rarely five. 
POLYSIPHONIA. 
1. P. urceolata. —An elegant little plant, growing on rocks, 
and often on Laminaria diyit.ata, and other algte; from three 
to nine inches high, the stem at the base the thickness of 
liorse-hair; dark red, and in large bunches ; rigid. 
2. P. Formosa. —Very slender and soft, much divided and 
resembling P. urceolata in some respects, but more slender ; 
from six to ten inches high. Not uncommon, but extremely 
beautiful. 
3. r. stricta. —Much tufted and bristly. 
4. P. ruLviNATA.—Growing on rocks and algae, not un¬ 
common, in thick tufts, about an inch high; colour red or 
purplish. 
o. P. eebrata. —On rocks and other algre. I found it 
growing abundantly in small rock pools at Bamborougli, 
forming a delicate and beautiful fringe round their margin ; 
stem two to ten inches long, of a dark brown; tender, and 
soon decomposing in fresh water. 
C. P. spinulosa. —“ Dark red ; branches divaricate, some¬ 
what rigid; the ramuli short, straight, subulate ; articulations 
about equal in length and breadth, three-tubed.”— Grev. 
Extremely rare; found at Appin by Captain Carmichael, 
who only discovered one specimen. 
7. r. Riciiardsoni. —“ At Colvend, Dumfries, by Sir John 
Richardson. Of this species nothing is known beyond a 
single specimen preserved in the Hookerian Herbarium, and 
figured in ‘ l’hycologia Britanica.’ ”— Harvey. 
8. P. Griffithsiana. —Very rare. “ Parasitical on Poly ides 
rotundas, at Torquay."— Mrs. Griffiths. 
9, P. elongella. —Growing on rocks between tide marks; 
rather rare; stems two to four inches high; the ramuli 
sometimes thickly tufted, and of a beautiful rose-red. Isle 
of Man, Ayrshire coast, and, indeed, Harvey says, generally 
distributed round the British shores. 
10. P. elongata. —Steins six to twelve inches high, as 
thick as whipcord, robust and cartilaginous; on stones .and 
shells; the ramuli form tufts of crimson at the tips of the 
branches. 
11. P. Grevit.lii. —Found by Dr. Greville on the shores 
of Bute, on the larger algae. 
12. P. violacea. —Brown, red, or purple; bushy, six to 
eight inches high. 
13. P. Carmich/ELIcum. — “Filaments tufted; rigid; 
branched from the base; found parasitical on Desmarestia 
aculatea, at Appin, by Captain Carmichael.”— Harvey. 
14. P. fibrillosa. —“ Pale straw-colour; six to ten inches 
long ; stem thicker than a bristle; a tender and fragile plant.” 
S. B. 
{To be continued.) 
DISEASES OF POULTRY. 
LEG WEAKNESS. 
The symptoms of this disease require, unfortunately, but 
a brief description, as there are but few breeders of choice 
birds who have not seen, at one time or other, some of their 
most promising cockerels and pullets “ go down on their 
legs,” becoming unable to stand except for a very short 
time, and then suddenly sinking down up on their hocks : this 
state of things is not necessarily accompanied with any 
evident illness, as the birds eat with their usual appetites, 
and continue to grow. I regard the disease as being occa¬ 
sioned by weakness, either constitutional, or caused by very 
rapid growth ; and on looking over my notes of cases, I find 
that it is more frequent in the chickens of young than in 
those of old parents ; that it is much more common among 
cockerels than pullets; and the greatest number of patients 
have been Cochins, next Spanish, then Dorkings, and but 
few among the other varieties. 
Originally (being over-influenced by a medical friend, 
who took a different view of the disease) I treated it locally, 
applying mustard plaisters, blisters, tincture of iodine, &c., 
to the hocks, but without any good effect. Lately, I have 
adopted a totally different system of treatment, and with the 
most marked and permanent benefit. Regarding it as 
muscular weakness, I have endeavoured to remedy it by 
giving the birds a fair quantity of flesh-forming food, such 
as oatmeal, with a supply of worms, snails,_&c., and a daily 
dose of three to eight grains of citrate of iron, and at the 
same time have kept them out of the wet, and at night 
; housed them warmly. Under this treatment, I have found 
; that the appetite improves, the bird becomes stronger, the 
comb reddens, and the power of standing and walking 
returns. I exceedingly' regret that I did not pursue this 
plan with my earlier patients, as I am confident I should 
have saved many birds by adopting it. One case, in par¬ 
ticular, I well remember, as it was that of a splendid Cochin 
cock, which was forwarded me from a celebrated stock at 
'Wigan; the value of the bird prompted me to use every 
care as to housing, feeding it, &e.; but, as it frequently 
occurs in these cases, it caught cold, from want of exercise 
became rheumatic, and died suddenly from inflammation of 
the heart. I have now under treatment a Cochin pullet, 
which could not stand when I received her six days ago, 
1 and which now walks voluntarily thirty or forty yards at a 
| time, and stands to feed. 
In those cases of leg weakness which I have examined 
after death, I have found nothing more than an unusual 
paleness and laxity of the muscles and tendons; this cir¬ 
cumstance, and the fact that the disease more frequently 
occurs in the chickens of young birds, and that it is more 
common in the heavier cockerels than in the lighter and 
more slowly-growing pullets, I think fully prove that my 
suggestion as to its being merely muscular weakness is 
correct; but whatever view may be taken of the disease, I 
can state, most confidently, the beneficial action of the 
; citrate of iron. The doses I have found most effectual are 
